Andy Burnham, who will become prime minister of Britain on Monday, is expected to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Keir Starmer on key issues such as Ukraine and relations with the European Union.

However, Burnham, who is not well known on the international stage, may adopt a tougher approach towards Israel, reflecting the left wing of the Labour Party's stance on the war in Gaza, according to AFP.

Relations with the European Union

Burnham, who opposed Brexit in 2016, has repeatedly expressed his desire to work on strengthening ties with the European Union.

In an opinion piece published in The Times on July 9, he wrote: 'I want to consolidate the progress made in negotiations between the UK and the European Union and build on that progress quickly.'

He specifically pointed to cooperation on combating irregular migration, terrorism, and AI-backed disinformation. In early June, he expressed hope that the UK would rejoin the European Union 'within his lifetime.'

But he later adopted a very cautious tone during his parliamentary election campaign, as Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Nigel Farage, accused him of seeking to reverse Brexit.

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Burnham said: 'I am not suggesting the UK seek to rejoin the EU. I respect the decision made in the referendum,' but he nevertheless considered Brexit to have been 'damaging.'

Relationship with Donald Trump

Burnham will have to find a way to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose positions are unpredictable, after Starmer's tenure saw fluctuations in the relationship with him.

Trump has not missed an opportunity to criticize the Labour government, pointing to a lack of investment in defense, insufficient support for U.S. strikes in Iran, and the fate of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, which hosts a strategically vital joint military base.

Will there be a warm chemistry between Trump and the former mayor of Manchester, who excels in communication skills compared to the serious Keir Starmer? When Trump was recently asked about Burnham, he said he did not know him well. He added: 'I think he was a mayor of a city. I heard he was very liberal' (in the social sense), adding that 'this probably means he will not open the North Sea' for oil exploration, a concern for Trump.

The U.S. president may be wrong on this point; media reports indicate that Andy Burnham is considering facilitating new exploration operations.

Burnham has not hidden his displeasure with the political situation in the United States under the Trump administration, describing it as 'grim' and 'divided,' but he also considers the relationship with the U.S. 'essential,' especially in defense and security matters.

Andy Burnham, Labour Party leader (DPA)

Support for Ukraine

This issue is undoubtedly the greatest cause of consensus within the British political class. As expected, Burnham affirmed his commitment to maintaining strong British support for Ukraine, which began under Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022 and was adopted by all subsequent governments.

On July 3, Burnham confirmed that he would provide Kyiv with the same support '100 percent' that Keir Starmer had provided.

In his article in The Times, he wrote that 'British support for Ukraine will be unwavering,' noting that it is linked to Britain's role in NATO. He said: 'Our commitment to NATO and the British nuclear deterrent will remain absolute.'

Pressure on Israel

Burnham believes that Britain should 'make greater efforts to pressure the Israeli government' against the backdrop of the situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

In an interview with The Guardian in early July, he said that the Labour Party under Keir Starmer 'did not meet expectations' when Israel launched its war on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian Hamas movement in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, especially for not immediately calling for a ceasefire.

The party's stance on this war led to internal divisions and tensions, prompting some of its voters to support the Green Party, which is more clearly pro-Palestinian.

Burnham considers it necessary now to 'consider imposing further sanctions' and 'take measures to ban trade' with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.